Obvious things a newbie cruiser might not know

[mandream]

We disembarked in Venice on a recent cruise and planned to walk with our luggage to the train station. We were told that it was a relatively short walk, which it was, but what no one mentioned was the bridge that we had to cross. It was a pedestrian bridge, and it only had steps! So dragging two suitcases each was not as easy as we had planned! The other problem was once we got aboard the train...there was no where to put our luggage. Everyone just sticks their bag behind their seat, but with two each, we did not have enough room. So be prepared, and travel as light as you can.

 

Yes - we had the exact same issue with the short walk to our hotel's shuttle boat. Lucky you only had 1 bridge to cross, I think we had 3 (but it felt like 20).

 

Mike

[BrendaJ]

Bring only your most comfortable shoes. If you've never been on a ship before, you'll be surprised how far you will be walking every day. If the shoes would hurt your feet walking a mile at home, don't bring them. You can be walking more than a mile in an evening, between bars and restaurants and entertainment, particularly if you plan to take the stairs at all. If your cabin is at the back of an S-class ship, you've got a long hike just to get to the nearest elevator or stairway.

No one is going to care if you wear the same outfit more than once. Think about any vacation you've ever been on. Do you remember noticing someone repeating outfits? Or caring? It is not hard to follow the dress codes with a minimum of luggage if you pack smart. Mixing and matching separates with nice accessories can provide you with some variety. You can always use the laundry service. It's not that expensive and can save you a lot of hassles.

You don't need to pack a blow drier, shampoo, soap, etc. The stuff they supply on-board is fine. The world won't end if you use generic shampoo for a week. And if you insist on bringing bottles of toiletries, bring only travel-size bottles.

Don't bring a bunch of books. There is a library on-board with an adequate selection of hard covers, including an area where passengers leave personal paperbacks they are finished with, so you can grab something for the flight home. If you’re a big reader, consider an e-reader, but load it up before you leave home, since satellite internet is pricey.

Do pack a light, collapsible zippered bag just in case you purchase some treasures and need to get them home.

Really, really think hard about every item you pack. Do you really need it? Is it something you're going to use just once? If so, consider living without it. Unless you’re in a suite, there isn’t that much space in your cabin. The less luggage you have, the easier your travel, packing and unpacking will be, especially if you have pre or post-cruise stays booked. This goes double for Venice, where it is unlikely you will be able to get to your hotel door without dragging your luggage over at least one bridge with stairs. And in Europe, your hotel may not have an elevator. On our first Med cruise a few years ago, we each had a carry on and a large suitcase and we shared a large garment bag. Navigating Venice was tough. Last year, we did a two week cruise with a pre-cruise stay in Venice and we each had a carry-on, we shared one large suitcase, and we actually survived just fine. It can be done with a little forethought and the understanding that 99% of the people you come across will not notice what you are wearing and will not care.

[BCoop]

This is our first cruise :D and we have read this post and other posts to get some clarity :rolleyes:. Our questions are:

1. The sea pass card (cruise card) is this your card to do all your purchasing/paying on board?

2. Should you link your credit card (master card) to your sea pass card?

3. Do you pay your drinks card from your sea pass card?

[anandaindonesia]

This is our first cruise :D and we have read this post and other posts to get some clarity :rolleyes:. Our questions are:

1. The sea pass card (cruise card) is this your card to do all your purchasing/paying on board?

2. Should you link your credit card (master card) to your sea pass card?

3. Do you pay your drinks card from your sea pass card?

 

1. Yes, you use the sea pass card (cruise card) to do all your purchases on board. They keep a folio, which you will have to settle at the end of the cruise.

 

2. When you check in, they ask if you will register your credit card to settle your payment. If so, they might hold some amount on your card and release it when you have settled everything at the end of the cruise.

If not, you will have to deposit some money to your on board account. They might ask you to top up should your purchases go over your deposit.

 

3. You may buy your drink package using your sea pass, or you may pre-purchase your package prior to boarding.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[mutare]

Great questions very helpful answers. We too are newbies and all this is very interesting.

Really looking forward to our December cruise. Hope everyone on board is as friendly as the people on the forum.

[Miss SeaBee]

My best advice for newbies is to read Cruise Critic obsessively. That's what I did! I am an over-planner, according to DH, but I like to know what to expect. I found cruise critic shortly after booking my first cruise. I gleaned as much advice and information as possible, and by the time the cruise finally rolled around, I totally felt like an expert cruiser! The best part is, no matter how much you read, nothing prepares you for the WOW moment of stepping on board the ship for the first time. :)

[KimkayRN]

I pack my unmentionables is large zip lock baggies and use the baggies for all kinds of things during the cruise..like I put all items that go in the safe in a baggie so as not to lose small items, keeping cookies fresh, etc). Always carry a small roll of duck tape (mine is hot pink) which can Help you McGiver anything..i.e. luggage get's torn, hem comes put of skirt, use as a lint brush when you can't find the tiny lint brush you brought, keep curtain closed to assist in hangover recovery time).

 

They sell magnetic 8X11 paper that you can print your own door signs on and they stick to the door to your cabin...

 

Best tip of.....Shampooze bottles...

 

Kim:cool:

[Jessejo]

Have only cruised from US ports for all but 1st cruise - on embarkation day, every US airport has a Celebrity greeter who can answer questions about how to get to the ship, taxi, etc. They usually are in a uniform and all have signs. Do they have Celebrity greeters in European ports?

[NorthCarolinaBelle]

Ladies: A black dress is your friend! I have a simple one that I wear with a cute cardigan on a regular night, and with a fancy jacket or pashmina on a formal night. Jewelry can dress it up or down, along with shoes. And speaking of shoes, unless you are young, agile, and used to walking in high heels, do NOT pack them! It is hard enough to walk on a rocking ship without teetering in 4-inch heels. Especially if you have the drink package:D Seriously, nobody will be looking at your feet, as long as you have on nice, clean shoes.

[lpd16]

Does Celebrity provide some kind of tote bag to use for pool items or should I pack one?

 

lpd16

[Ginnyfyr]

I remember that port has 4 letters and, coincidentally, so does left!!:cool:

 

That's how I remember it too!

[Ginnyfyr]

My 2 cents:

 

If you are a woman with hair that you have to blow dry at home, bring your own hair dryer. There are lots of options these days for packable travel dryers that are just as powerful as what you use at home. In 20+ all inclusive trips and 7 cruises, I've yet to find an in-room hair dryer that can do much more than dry a water spot on my shirt!

 

Print off your boarding documents X 2. In a rush to get our paperwork out of my bag in Ft. Lauderdale last year, I tore my boarding pass clear in half! Fortunately there was a desk agent who was able to tape it together for me, but wow, did I ever have a heart attack in the meantime! Now we print any essential paperwork X 2 just to be safe.

 

Photocopy your passport/ID before you leave home. Bring a copy to leave in your room safe (so you can leave the ship with your passport - I know some say not to do this but I would personally never leave the ship in any foreign port without my legitimate passport!) Email a copy to yourself as well - you never know when you might need that backup copy!

 

In my experience, room service coffee is always better than what you get in the MDR! Not sure if it's because you're serving it from your own carafe or if it's a different blend, but if you like your morning coffee, it's worth having a pot delivered in the morning!

 

Speaking of room service, be sure to have a handful of small bills available to tip room service delivery folks. As far as I know, in many cases they're not part of the auto tips for bringing your food to your room.

 

Make sure your bank/credit card provider knows you will be travelling - nothing worse than being denied a purchase because your bank thinks it's a fraudulent transaction!

[BamaD]

My 3 Favorite Tips: (A few repeats)

 

- Do eat in Bistro on Five for your first lunch. This is the worst possible time to introduce yourself to the "panic-ridden" buffet. Mention this to your roll call and you'll meet a few friends earlier, in a quiet setting!

 

- Room service (as your wake-up call) on port days. I can't tell you how many times I thought I would have a chance to grab something. Nothing is worse than starting an excursion without food.... and definitely throw a muffin or croissant in your bag.

 

- This might be controversial, but I eat in specialty restaurants on the last evening. The MDR, and even Blu can sometimes be frenzied with picture-taking and "over-the-top" tip-generating behavior! Don't get me wrong - I am an "extra" tipper but I do it before the last night.

 

Do bring plenty of ones, twos and even five dollar bills from home for this. Also, if you can leave the U.S. with a few smaller denomination Euros, you will feel a lot more comfortable upon your arrival.

 

Enjoy!

[jimmyjam]

I remember that port has 4 letters and, coincidentally, so does left!!:cool:

Also the ships light for port is RED. The color of..Port wine!:cool:

[tserface]

My wife always brings a hiliter pen to use to mark the newsletter for the next day.

 

Tom

 

 

 

 

And read your dailies - so much info as to what is going on all day and night - where musical groups will be, lectures, games, bar hours and locations, etc.

 

Have a great time!!!!

[wwwfla]

Kacie you will love it but honestly some of the fun is the happy discoveries you'll find on the cruise. Having said that, however, by getting on your roll call and participating and reading here, you'll be ahead of the game. I've heard that only ten percent do CC.

 

Embarkation is generally easy and if you dont arrive when 1000 people arrive at once you can hand your check through luggage at the curb and be rolling on the ship in 15 min. They will get your credit card and take your photo for the credit card type sea pass card that you use to pay for everything and that you insert into a machine coming and going each time you leave the ship.

It opens your room too. The also get your printed paper with the bar codes that youll print out at home after doing your on-line check in. You do that as soon as you make your final payment.

 

Don't feel obligated to take the photos of every port stop, every time someone says to come pose. We take zero photos with them dressed in the silly costumes but some people think it is mandatory.

You can politely say no thank you and move on.

 

We eat at the $5 charge Bistro on Five for lunch when we first get on, rather than the buffet which gets crowded that day.

 

Room service is free. A tip is nice and we carry lots of singles and $2 bills.

 

Try and arrange private excursions rather than the ship tours. You'll save $ in most cases but mostly you will get smaller groups and avoid the buses. I always start with the internet and guidebooks and the Ports section on this site to see what the port offers and take it from there. We thought we hadto take the ship's only but not true. The independent excursion guides know they have to get you back on time, this is how they make their living. Some of our favorite days EVER were on tours we arranged ourselves and through cruise critic roll calls.

 

Eat at all the specialty restaurants as they are great and part of the cruise experience.

 

The meet and greet will happen if 25 people sign up for it. The ship will set up a room and some light refreshments usually day 2. There won't be an agenda but sometimes a very ambitious go=getter type person on each roll call will grab a mike or take a lead role.

 

Like I said before, it's easy, and they're there to make your vacation fun! You'll be busy in Europe - on a port-intensive cruise.

 

Take the stairs and use the gym. Walk when you can. Don't feel you have to eat everything and every meal -- check out your options besides the buffet, you can skip courses. We don't do snacks and ice cream during the day but it's there if you want it. Drink water!!!! You don't want to be sluggish and that can happen if you just go on the cruise to eat eat eat. I'm not saying that's you, but you'll find that some want to get their money's worth and they will gain weight. We usually lose a pound or two and we have a great time and eat TONS, just not continually. We drink more alcoholic beverages (one to two drinks before dinner usually) on a cruise than regularly. It's our one "thing."

 

The ship's lecturers are generally good to great - bingo is expensive - trivia is fun for some (we don't do it).

 

Hope that helped some --- you have a lot of time to get excited and keep reading here. We didn't get on CC until cruise 3.

 

Great pointers!

[wwwfla]

Bring only your most comfortable shoes. If you've never been on a ship before, you'll be surprised how far you will be walking every day. If the shoes would hurt your feet walking a mile at home, don't bring them. You can be walking more than a mile in an evening, between bars and restaurants and entertainment, particularly if you plan to take the stairs at all. If your cabin is at the back of an S-class ship, you've got a long hike just to get to the nearest elevator or stairway.

No one is going to care if you wear the same outfit more than once. Think about any vacation you've ever been on. Do you remember noticing someone repeating outfits? Or caring? It is not hard to follow the dress codes with a minimum of luggage if you pack smart. Mixing and matching separates with nice accessories can provide you with some variety. You can always use the laundry service. It's not that expensive and can save you a lot of hassles.

You don't need to pack a blow drier, shampoo, soap, etc. The stuff they supply on-board is fine. The world won't end if you use generic shampoo for a week. And if you insist on bringing bottles of toiletries, bring only travel-size bottles.

Don't bring a bunch of books. There is a library on-board with an adequate selection of hard covers, including an area where passengers leave personal paperbacks they are finished with, so you can grab something for the flight home. If you’re a big reader, consider an e-reader, but load it up before you leave home, since satellite internet is pricey.

Do pack a light, collapsible zippered bag just in case you purchase some treasures and need to get them home.

Really, really think hard about every item you pack. Do you really need it? Is it something you're going to use just once? If so, consider living without it. Unless you’re in a suite, there isn’t that much space in your cabin. The less luggage you have, the easier your travel, packing and unpacking will be, especially if you have pre or post-cruise stays booked. This goes double for Venice, where it is unlikely you will be able to get to your hotel door without dragging your luggage over at least one bridge with stairs. And in Europe, your hotel may not have an elevator. On our first Med cruise a few years ago, we each had a carry on and a large suitcase and we shared a large garment bag. Navigating Venice was tough. Last year, we did a two week cruise with a pre-cruise stay in Venice and we each had a carry-on, we shared one large suitcase, and we actually survived just fine. It can be done with a little forethought and the understanding that 99% of the people you come across will not notice what you are wearing and will not care.

More good tips but bring some nice dress stuff.

[jimmy2x]

Do something to your suitcases to give them a unique look. Makes life much easier at airports and at debarkation.

 

Consider taking two different credit cards. Leave the one you are using with the cruise line in your safe. The other ashore in case of theft.

 

Find some quiet time at night to find a secluded and reasonably dark area to just spend a few moments gazing at the heavens. You can get drinks and see shows anywhere. Being on the high seas is truly magical.

[shelbyz]

I research tipping practices for each port we will visit and carry the information on a small card in my wallet. There is no reason to tip 20% for lunch in a country where they just round up to the next Euro, for example.

 

Also, I start "unsubscribing" to emails about six weeks before I leave. There are some that I don't want cluttering my inbox when I may be paying for email access.

[cpl100]

We disembarked in Venice on a recent cruise and planned to walk with our luggage to the train station. We were told that it was a relatively short walk, which it was, but what no one mentioned was the bridge that we had to cross. It was a pedestrian bridge, and it only had steps! So dragging two suitcases each was not as easy as we had planned! The other problem was once we got aboard the train...there was no where to put our luggage. Everyone just sticks their bag behind their seat, but with two each, we did not have enough room. So be prepared, and travel as light as you can.

 

I am interested in your comment about the train. I have never ridden the train in Europe. We are taking the train from Venice to Rome after our cruise ends. We have first class tickets. I am certain we will have more than two suitcases between us (that's not up for discussion). If people put their suitcases behind their seats, doesn't that infringe on the seat space of the person behind you? That doesn't seem fair. I thought there are racks above the seats for at least smaller suitcases. If there is no room behind the seat, where did you put your luggage? If someplace 'away from you', how did you secure it from theft?

 

Additionally, is it possible to take a cab from the Venice pier to the train station, thereby eliminating trudging over bridges?

 

Thanks!

[midwestchick]

There seems to be on-going and persistent confusion about the Cafe al Bacio (or Cova Cafe on the Century). At the Cafe al Bacio there is an extra charge for the speciality teas and speciality coffees, but there is no extra charge for the food. The food is included in your basic cruise fare.

 

 

What if you have a drink package...is there an extra charge then?

[Waihekean]

What if you have a drink package...is there an extra charge then?

 

No, except if you are on the Classic non alco & alco packages, you will have to pay for the premium speciality coffees. Think these are normally priced about $6 and you can find them on the last page of the Al Baco menu on the Celebrity website.

[midwestchick]

No, except if you are on the Classic non alco & alco packages, you will have to pay for the premium speciality coffees. Think these are normally priced about $6 and you can find them on the last page of the Al Baco menu on the Celebrity website.

 

 

I believe we're on the classic alcohol package which also includes fresh squeezed oj, bottled water, etc. So the coffees should be included.

[Trainer]

For CPl100. Venice is mainly walking and boats. It is car-free and most people walk everywhere. There are vaporetto boats and water taxis, but not traditional taxis. You probably will be walking, but there are lots of bridges over the many canals, as people have mentioned. It is not very friendly to wheelchairs and walkers. Also very easy to get lost as the sidewalks and such are not straight-lines and stop and start without rhyme or reason. But it is a fascinating, wonderful city!

[digital_curator]

The dining room and theater are often cold, so it is good to pack a wrap.

 

The art on the ship is amazing (and they have self-guided tours available from guest services) but, if you are a visual learner, it is also a great orientation tool- I get to know the art at the ends of my hallway so I can quickly tell if I am on the correct side of the ship:D

 

Ask for a map of the ship when you board. We also try to board early and explore the ship before it gets busy, working top down, stopping for lunch on the way.

 

Seriously- pack light. I can easily do a 16-day cruise with one suitcase. I pair of dress shoes, one pair of walking shoes, flip flops for the pool deck. My DH rents a tux from the ship to save space. The cabins are smaller than you can imagine, though there are lots of nooks and crannies to put stuff.

 

There will probably be a party for new cruisers, which can be fun and helpful.

 

Have a great time!